Over Three-Dozen National Organizations Call for Congress to Act in Response to McCutcheon v. FEC decision

Submitted by Adam Smith on Wed, 04/02/2014 - 15:34

Time for Legislation like the Government By the People and Fair Elections Now Acts

Washington, D.C.—Thirty-eight national good government, civil rights, environmental, and labor organizations released the following statement today in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in McCutcheon v. FEC:

"The Supreme Court has once again sided with the wealthy and powerful and against the vast majority of Americans. Today’s McCutcheon v. FEC decision makes it more important than ever that Congress move forward on legislation to lift up the voices of those unable to write big campaign checks.

"The Government By the People Act (HR 20) and the Fair Elections Now Act (S 2023) would boost the influence of small donors and help millions more Americans, rather than just a few big donors, play a central role in determining who runs for Congress, who wins elections, and what issues make it onto the agenda in Washington. Carefully crafted to withstand constitutional scrutiny, the bill would establish a competitive alternative to our big-money dominated campaign finance system.

"A slim majority of the Supreme Court may have given up on having a democracy that works for everyone, but we have not. Through the Government By the People and Fair Elections Now Acts, we can create a political system for the many, not just the money, and forge a democracy that’s more responsive and accountable to the American people. Our millions of members demand it, and we will not rest until we truly have a government that is of, by, and for the people."

Organizations that signed the statement: AFSCME, Americans for Campaign Reform, American Family Voices, Campaign for America's Future, Common Cause, Communications Workers of America, CREDO, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Democracy for America, Democracy Matters, Demos, Franciscan Action Network, Free Speech for People, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, League of Conservation Voters, MoveOn, NAACP, National Education Association, National Peoples Action, OurTime.org, People for the American Way, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Progressives United, ProgressNow, Public Campaign, Public Citizen, Rebuild the Dream, Rootstrikers, Sierra Club, StampStempede, United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers, USAction, USPIRG, Voices for Progress, WolfPAC, Working Families Organization.

In its decision today, the Supreme Court, "struck down limits Wednesday in federal law on the overall campaign contributions the biggest individual donors may make to candidates, political parties and political action committees."